One silver lining found amid the pandemic-inspired quarantine season: a coveted 10-part docuseries is arriving months ahead of schedule. In the wake of most original programming being suspended indefinitely, the masses united to demand a distraction.
Enter: The Last Dance - the interview-laden documentation of Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls' two three-peats in the 1990s. Those who have seen ESPN's teasers, or any number of the below-listed films, will be ample-prepared for what to expect. Here are the movies you need to watch while waiting for the documentary!
30 For 30: Jordan Rides The Bus (2010)
While Space Jam took fun liberties in explaining Jordan's return following his first retirement (and will see Don Cheadle as the villain in its sequel, according to SR's Brian Frosti), this 30 for 30 episode dug at the truth as much as it could within the confines.
Wildly held alternative theories aside, Jordan's shock-inducing decision to take up baseball was, according to the eventual first-ballot Fall-of-Famer himself, grief-motivated means to pay tribute to his recently slain father. To understand Jordan's ego surely to be tackled even more so in The Last Dance is to appreciate the full weight of why he left, and why he came back.
Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974)
The Butch and Sundance-adjacent Clint Eastwood/Jeff Bridges buddy crime flick comes with the added distinction of encompassing the dynamic between Michael Jordan and his right-hand on the court, Scottie Pippen - two decades prior to the duo's run.
Eastwood stars as an ex-heister on the run from his old crew. It takes his developing a bond with the younger Bridges to get back in the game and reach beyond his past as the tandem conspire to complete a job left unfinished - sound familiar?
High Flying Bird (2019)
Contagion was not the first underrated Steven Soderbergh film this decade to be retroactively rendered prophetic.
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By portraying the bleak, iPhone-shot reality of what a suspended NBA season could look like, the player's strike-centered High Flying Bird provides the assist for the potential slam dunk in The Last Dance - which will deliver the Jordan-led '90s Bulls back to nostalgia-craving fans who did not know what they had until it was no more.
Funny People (2009)
The Judd Apatow comedy/drama might not be where one's mind first goes to when they think of Michael Jordan and the '90s Bulls. However, the sheer premise - a terminally-ill comedian (Adam Sandler) in the twilight seeking requiem through mentoring an up-and-comer (Seth Rogen) - evokes the "Last Dance" mantra present in coach Phil Jackson's 1998 squad.
Plus, both larger-than-life personalities lived to laugh yet another day beyond what they once feared was the end (Sandler's pre-act III remission; Jordan's return as a Washington Wizard in 2001).
Trainspotting (1996) / T2 Trainspotting (2017)
What is an unprecedented competitive drive, if not an addiction realized in the healthiest capacity? Both Danny Boyle's cult film and its equally love-drunk on punk-rock "twenty years later" sequel follow those who would rather scheme for their next fix than "choose life."
However, when stacked together for comparison to the '90s Bulls, the saga earns its allegorical designation. Like Jordan, outfit leader Renton (Ewan McGregor) bounced - only to return, then quickly regain the trust of his crew after they are reminded how cathartic it feels to thrive alongside the alpha dog once again.
Lenny Cooke (2013)
Prior to Uncut Gems (2019), The Safdie Brothers made movie magic on another basketball court. The titular, former no. 1 high school prospect's window came and went as depicted in this feature-length, "then-and-now" documentary.
The film also offers portals into alternate universes, where the greatest to never make it can travel back and urge their younger selves to have a back-up plan. One Jordan never needed, though even the best suffer from heartache as The Last Dance will most definitely reveal.
Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping (2016)
"Let me see that Donkey Roll!" The Lonely Island's mockumentary about a fictional boy band break-up caused by the egomania of its leader (Andy Samberg) perhaps took more direct influence from the '90s Bulls than it is given credit for.
Nevertheless, the film serves as a modern-day This Is Spinal Tap that relentlessly professes it is OK to laugh at greatness - even if said greatness is not in on the joke.
Like Mike (2002)
The plot device is only overdone because it works every single time. Lil Bow Wow's turn as an orphan who becomes an NBA superstar overnight after discovering a pair of magic "MJ"-branded shoes hit theaters shortly after Jordan's second comeback.
Thus, it is the last high-profile film to adequately capture the far reach and evergreen impact of Jordan's legacy. And earned bonus points for doing so while never even mentioning him by full name.
O.J.: Made in America (2016)
Typically broken into six parts, the acclaimed docuseries from Ezra Edelman - who dropped out of directing the latest Clint Eastwood film to stir controversy - managed to qualify for the documentary feature Oscar it won in 2017.
Though Jordan is not as polarizing for obvious reasons, there is no disputing the King's Ransom of fascinating discussion points that arise when one assesses the considerable baggage held by the global face of Nike, Air Jordan and sports in general.
The Last Waltz (1978)
Along with the title similarities, both the subject of Martin Scorsese's documentary that actually required a special effects team and the '90s Bulls mutually decided to hang it up, and go out with a bang in the process.
By the conclusion of the ESPN docuseries, it could be tough to discern which of the two featured more star power: ten hours of talking-head G.O.A.T chatter, or two hours of The Band joined on stage by too many music legends to list for their final concert performance (until their return five years later).